Tournant Pop Up Restaurant

This is actually my second Tournant Pop Up Restaurant experience. I covered the first one under Homage and I am really a fan!
This event was the «Tournant Pop Up — Chef Driven» at the Sienna. It was an appetizer menu that offered a wide array of tastes and flavors. My husband and a friend and I decided on one from each of the categories: Lettuce Sprouts and Shoots, Small plates Land, Sea and Air, and Something Sweet
We started off with the Scandinavian Dumpling filed with apple, fennel, sorrel Foam, and shaved mushrooms. They were tender and savory and absolutely delicious. Great start.
We then had the Lobster Roll. It was huge. It was an homage to the traditional New England treat with a ramped up flavor and creaminess. The egg bread was not the traditional bun but was crispy and buttery and flavorful. The bread was topped by large chunks of tender, sweet lobster in aioli sauce and crispy slices of celery.
The last bit was Chocolate Pudding, with chocolate wafers and chocolate butter cream. It was served as scoops of rich chocolate decadence on soup spoons. That really made it easy to eat. It was more like a mousse than a budding. Very very rich and very very chocolaty.
The event was in the rotunda bar just outside of what used to be Whitewater. The Sienna is in transition and there were not a lot of patrons there that night, but our server did a magnificent job of keeping us fed and providing us with glasses of wine.
I am looking forward to participating in another of these unique events.

Not sure if I should thank Homage, or Tournant for the exceptional Mother’s Day Brunch; but Mom loved it. All five courses were excellent and we’d love to do it again. Look forward to Tournant finding a permanent location. For a downtown location, Homage is quite and the outside brunch on the lawn worked well.
Hopefully I can get the ginger scone any day at Homage.

I got to experience my first Pop up with these guys during their Valentine’s Day mash up with Rounds Bakery and Films on tap. I was a last minute add on from the day of and felt incredibly blessed to be able to experience such and awesome evening.
There were three courses for this meal. The meal was all fondue which also was a first.
The first course was a veggie and cheese fondue made with three different cheeses. The sauce was creamy and complimented the veggies just wonderfully.
The second course was the hot pot which was lobster, beef and chicken dipped in veal tomato broth. This course was served with a beverage to share with my love.
The third course was the fruit and chocolate course. All I have to say is yummy. Sean Cary made macaroons to be served that night with dessert and provided samplings of the bagels for our bread portion.
Films on tap showed When Harry Met Sally. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
I am looking forward to another event with this group. I love the culture of Reno and getting to know it on a much better level and this is a gem to be found among the rocks.

This is my conundrum about my first Tournant Pop-​Up. I’m not sure which is the star — the food or the cocktails (and the playlist made a pretty badass supporting role, I must say). But maybe I’m missing the point if I put one over the other, because the truth is, what makes this genius is this nexus of gastronomic wizardry and an elevated mix of elixirs in a little glass. Both of which might have just been flukes at experimentation at one point, but that evening, it was a winner.
What I hope isn’t a fluke is the transformation of this biggest little city where the hidden in its sidestreets are speakeasies for food and drink alike. And while this resurgence in Reno might be old news now for a while now, the food of Tournant Pop-​Up and cocktails of Pignic Pub have just upped the game.

With a Tournant pop up don’t get just one chef. Tournant has a great group of chefs that team together and create an incredible range of flavors.
No two meals I have ever had from Tournant have been the same. Last night was the pop up at Pignic. Ben Deiken, Rigoberto Rivera, Joe Bell and Sara Ford put out a menu of tacos that I have never before tasted. And Trevor from Pignic paired them with four interesting tequila cocktails.
We started the evening mingling and snacking on chicharrons, chips and fresh salsa– the salsa had this slight sweetness at the first bite. The first trio taco arrives– pig skin, tongue and cheek. All were great and showed a textural side that I assume most people aren’t used to. The tongue was incredibly tender– sorry mom and grandma, but this was way better than yours. The drink paired here was a smoky tequila cocktail. Next how do you serve «invisible» food, but Ben did. One of the coolest plates I have seen in awhile. The shell was clear and when you picked it up it was a little creepy seeing the shrimp and micro cilantro floating between your fingers. This delicate taco had so much flavor and was served with a mini marguerita. A bright red glass shows up with a familiar taste of clamato and tequila to go with the salmon taco topped with a creamy jicama slaw. Granted none of these taco treats were for the neat freak– all were so packed with ingredients and flavors that just exploded when you took a bite. The final drink was probably my favorite, a dark tequila old fashion, had a hint of sweet with a slice of jalapeño in it. This went with the final dish of two pork belly tacos.
Obviously it is so hard to describe the wonderful flavors of the evening, so check out the pictures. Better yet check out an upcoming Tournant Pop Up– I know there’s a couple of real interesting ones in the next couple of months.

For me and my wife, Valentine’s Day is usually just another day. I used to go overboard with the flowers and stuffed animals until my wife declared a moratorium, so I think she was genuinely surprised when I purchased tickets for the «Menage a Trois» pop-​up dinner and movie event. How could I resist? Rounds Bakery, Films on Tap, and Tournant Pop-​Up Restaurant formed a unique «trois» of setting, entertainment, and culinary experience to be had.
Tournant – a French term for a chef who assists every station in the kitchen – is perhaps Reno’s best example of a food culture trend with roots in the «supper clubs» of decades past, now renewed by social media. Pop-​ups utilize an existing restaurant’s off-​hours or a non-​restaurant space with a themed tie-​in, e.g. historical bites at a museum. Often used by young chefs for experience and exposure, pop-​ups also serve as a means for established chefs to test new ideas or restaurant concepts before taking the brick and mortar plunge.
With an eye toward eventually opening his own eatery, veteran Chef Ben Deinken and his team of friends and food service professionals put together their first Tournant pop-​up to much acclaim on New Year’s Eve 2013. Throughout 2014 they popped-​up all over town, including a couple pairings with Films on Tap (a local organization dedicated to the shared enjoyment of quality film and craft beers). Tickets are sold in advance for the prix fixe menu – $ 120 per couple on this occasion – and include all food and beverages with somewhere between 30 – 50 seats available (seating and pricing vary with each event).
This evening’s film was the romantic comedy, «When Harry Met Sally.» I’ll admit to an initial lack of enthusiasm for this selection, but it turned out to be just the thing. I’d bet that most of us in the room hadn’t seen it since 1989 (or weren’t yet born). The room was full of laughter, although four rounds of bottomless cocktails may have helped.
The menu’s theme was fondue, with tealight burners set on each table to keep dishes warm. We began with an apéritif cocktail, «Make Me Blush» (vodka, ruby reds, fresh mint, lime, and rose syrup), as well as a few bite-​sized morsels of Rounds’ bagels. This flowed nicely into the first course, «Velvet Pot» (grueyere, kirschwasser, garlic, bechamel, volcano salt) with a plank of fresh and mildly pickled vegetable bites to dip in the goo. A «Cherry Kisses» cocktail joined the party (pinot gris, kirsch, black cherry, soda), which went well with the cheesy, veggie flavors.
The second fondue course, «Hot Pot» (fresh herbs, red wine, roasted mire poix, tomato in a bone marrow broth), was served with a plank of mushrooms, baby cabbage, and cubed, cooked meats (chicken breast, beef filet, lobster). The patience required to warm each morsel in the broth made you really appreciate every delicious bite, and the «Besame Mucho» cocktail for two (malbec, rosemary, black pepper syrup, pomegranate, and blood orange served in a little goldfish bowl with two straws) was a savory-​sweet complement.
The dessert fondue lived up to its name, «Sexpot» (Belgian milk, Callebaut dark, and Ghirardelli semi-​sweet chocolates melted into organic, fresh farm cream), served with brownie crumbles and giant, whole strawberries for dipping. «Love Potion» (sweet red wine, stout, bubbly, twist) accentuated the chocolate and fruit in a surprisingly satisfying way. I’m not huge on sweets, but this combination worked very well.
At the risk of sounding too much a fan, I can honestly say there wasn’t a thing out of place. Beverages were kept full, food arrived at a decent pace, and the flavors of both food and cocktails were well thought out and executed. Future events are in the works with a variety of locations and themes, including more collaboration with Films On Tap. With a culinary team this creative, I can’t wait to see what pops-​up next.

I’ve had their food a number of times at different events. But I have also been lucky enough to be able to do two of their pop up dinners. The first was a delightful Alice in Wonderland inspired «Teaparty». All of the food and courses were fun and tasty.
This second was a Ciopino feed at Little House on Center St. Best Ciopino that I have ever had. Now that isn’t saying a bunch cause I’ve maybe only had it a dozen or so times. But still, it was just super tasty. All the seafood was good and not overdone for my tastes. It was so good I did opt for a second bowl and wished I could have taken more home for a meal later! But it was a «feed» so no taking home «all you can eat» food! The people they have working with them on their events are always fun and friendly and work hard to make it a great experience.
A little bird told me that The Brains and the Brawn behind Tournant is going brick and mortar. I know that these things aren’t solid until you walk through the door, but this is probably the most exciting new restaurant news I have heard in a long time.
Next up? Papier a One Year Anniversary/​New Years Meal.

We used Chef Ben to cater a 3 course dinner party for 10 people. One word best describes our experience: OUTSTANDING!
The guests were arriving at 6:30p. Chef Ben and Carrie arrived promptly at 6:00p. They served 3 appetizers while guests had a glass of wine and mingled. The appetizers were delicious and steadily replenished.
After everyone was seated, a wonderful roasted beet and blue cheese salad was served. Not only was it beautifully presented, it was delicious. The flavors mixed perfectly.
Next came the entrees. A perfectly cooked filet accompanied with roasted potatoes and a variety of seasonal mushrooms enhanced with wonderful red wine reduction. Again, the presentation was amazing and the food was delicious.
Chef Ben did a wonderful job describing each course when it was served and answered any questions about his creative and amazing dishes. Needless to say, everyone cleaned their plates!
Even though they didn’t make the dessert (my partner made me a birthday cake), they graciously cut and served it too. While everyone was still visiting, they cleared the table, cleaned up the kitchen, packed up their dishes, glasses etc and quietly left.
My partner and I could not have been happier with the evening. Ben and Carrie made the entire process seamless. They were gracious, professional and easy to work with and all the food was fresh and delicious!
We will certainly have them cater other parties and highly recommend them!